Paper-fastener.



J. o. HAWKINS.

PAPER FASTBNER.

APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 3, 1911.

1,130,594, v Patented M3112, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE MORRIS PETERS CO.,PHo1D-LlTi-lo.. WASHINGmN.

'J. C. HAWKINS.

1 PAPER FASTENER. APPLICATIONIILED 110123, 1911.

Patented 11111112, 1915.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J'gf

THE NGRRIS PETERS C0.. PHONLITHO.. WSHINGIDN, DA C.

J'. C. HAWKINS, OE NEWTON, IOWA.

PAPER-FASTENER.

Application led November 3, 1911.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. C. HAWKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, county of Jasper, and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new andfuseful Paper-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an instrument whereby sheets of paper may be secured together bv means of a tongue cut from the sheets and then foldedbackward through a slit in such a way that, while still integral with the sheets, it serves as a clip or fastener for holding them together.

According to the present invention the cutting and slitting knives and the tucker, which works in conjunction therewith to fold the tongues backward through the slit, are all mounted in such a way as to be particularly durable and reliable in operation and free from many of the complex fea-l tures which have heretofore characterized instruments of this general character.` The tucker of the present invention is pivotally supported and is so arranged as to act positively on the tongues without being subjected to strain or fatigue when not in use.

The details of mv invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the fastener with the jaws distended and in p0- sition to receivek the paper to be fastened, Fig. 2 shows the jaws squeezed together and the tongue of paper bent' through the eye of the slitting knife. Fig. 3 illustrates a modification wherein the knives are movable with a tubular section mounted to slide through a hollow standard. Fig. 4 shows the tongue of paper pushed through the slit and holding a plurality of sheets together, andFig;

5 is a reverse view of the product shown in Fig. 4.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fastener comprises a pair of operating handles 1 and2 pivotally mounted at 3 and having projecting portions 4 and 5 which form bifurcations for actuating the parallel jaws of the fastener. The upper jaw 5x is ypivotally connected to the lextension 4 by means of a lpin 6 and has a slot 7 slidingly engaging a transverseKY pin 8 rigidly mounted on the operating handle 1. A. coiled spring 9 connects the ypin 6 with the pin 8 and serves to hold the device normallyy in adis- I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915..

Serial No. 658,331.

tended position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. rlhe lower jaw 10 ispivotally mounted on a pin 11 and is notched to slide on a pin 12. Thehelical spring 13 of the lower jaw is connected tothe pin 12 through a yoke 14. The cutting mechanism of the fastener comprises a knife 15 seated against the roof of the upper jaw, this knife having a beveled lower edge shaped to cut a V-shaped tongue from sheets of paper slipped between the jaws of the fastener. At the rear of this cutting knife is a slitting knife 16 sharpened to cut a slit at the base of the paper tongue and having an eye 17 into which that tongue may be threaded automatically. The knives 15 and 16 are preferably shaped from the same piece of metal, the upper end of which is in the rform of a boX, tightly gripped and held in place by transverse rivets 18 and 19. A die-plate 20 is iXed upon the upper side of the lower jaw by means of a screw l21v provided with a nut 22. The front end of the die-plateis heldby a screw 24 having a nut 25 serviceable as a stop for the stripper plate. The stripper plate 26 is located above the die-plate 20 and is held at its rear end by the bolt 21. The front end of the stripper plate is free to move up and down through a limited distance and has the function of holding the paper sheets with a yielding grip while the cutting and vslitting knives are being withdrawn from the paper. Stampedup from the stripper plate is a lug 27 acting as a guide for the folder in a manner hereinafter set forth in detail. The folder 28 of my present invention is in the shape of a bell-crank and is pivotally mounted on a transverse shaft ory pin 29. The

folder `is also provided with a shoulder against which a coiled compression spring.y

30 bears with gentle pressure.

When the device is in its inactive position,v

ing on the operating handles, the knivesL can be forced into the paper, cutting there-` from a tapering tongue, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and also cutting a slit into which that tongue may be tucked or folded. The folding operation is effected by means'of the piv-f Initially, the lower and oted folder 28. longer arm of this folder rests with gentle pressure on ythe upstanding lug 27, but, asy

the j awsapproach each other, this arm slips i by the end of the lug and presses downward.

and backward Von .the-paper tongue, ultimately bending it through the eye-17v of the slitting knife into the position illustrated inFig. 2; A part of this bending is effectedI because of the pressure of the spring 3Q, but the final entrance of the paper tongue into the eyeis made positive bydirect en. gagement ofthe short arm of the folder with thetop of the lug 27.

VVViththe"tongue cut from the. paper and .Y foldedback as in Fig. 2, the next operation' consists inrrelea'sing thehan'dles and` allowing theslitting knife 16 to pull upward on the VendV of the tongue, drawing it upward through Athe slit into its. nal4 position, as

illustrated in Fig. 5. During the first part v-ofthis movement, the folder 28 Vremains, in contact with the tongue, preventing it from springing back of its own elasticity, rand allowing the' slitting knife to secure a 'good' grip on the tonguebefore .the backward thrust of the folder is removed Onsubsei quent outward. movement' of thel jaws the folderrides upward vwith its lower Ycurved arm bearing against the lug 27, while, simultaneously, 'the slitting knife pullsY `the tongue of paper throughY thefslit andV completes the fastening as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which showv bottomV and top views of the completed fastening. with-the tongue A cuty Y Vfrom the sheets and tucked through the slit B-'to serve as anv attaching clip.

In .the construction just described, the yfolder 28 is preferably made fromY tough steel, strong and well adapted for rough usage, being substantially lrigidan'd inelassultant breakage.

Y tic. -t is not subjected4 to' fatigueY when the instrument Vis inoperative and therefore is notsubject to early crystallization and re All the spring Vparts of the structure are independent of theicutting elements and are ofi standard form and inl place by screwsV 33, which are seated`- inV 'pressed down by the hand ofthe-operator'V easily renewable.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 3comprises a base 31 carryinga standard 32 held slots, allowing :a slight transverse adjustment of the standard. 'At the upper end" of the standard is avertical bearing 84 through which passesia cylinder 35 encompassed by a. 'coiled springl 36 and provided at `its top with' a knob 37. This cylinder 35 isslittedv to receive the smooth endof'a screw l38' whichl serves to prevent rotation ofthe cyl.-

linder in its'bearing, but allows free verticalA movement thereofv when the cylinder is or. is lifted' by the action ofthe spring 36.

Within-the vlower end of the cylinder 35 is a cylindrical fitting` 39y carrying near its" front the V"-shaped1cutting knife 40and car'- ryingatits rear'the slitting knifeV 4l, the

latterI being4 held rigidly. in .position by set screws 49. and43suitably-recessed inthe :lit-- ung. irte foider is pvot'auy montados@ transverse `pin 44 and comprises a lower curved arm`45 and -a short upper arm 46. The yfolder is also equipped with a coiled spring 4'?,v whereby it'maybe 4at all times held in proper operativeV position. `The stripper 48 is of tubular outlineenveloping the klower end ofthe vertical cylinder 35 and mounted to freely lslide with respect thereto.l The helical spring 49V separates the low-er ends of the stripper and thje cylinder 35, while permitting relative movement thereof and serves to push the stripper Vdownward when the cylinder isfin its lowermostjposition. A' guideway 50,v shown 1nV structure having openings at the bottom: through which the knives may perform theirnormal functions. VThe operation ofv the structure` shown in Fig. 3l is, in essentiall articulars,the same as that previouslysetv Orth in connection with Fig; 1. VUnder pressure on the knob 37, the knives are.

forcedthrough the sheets of paper 52, cuttingV loose a tapering tongue which' theres after is folded backward bythe folder 45 the stripper 48, in the meantime, holding the-sheets of paper firmly against the'base andlits supported: die 53. The'linal backward bending of the'folder is made positive and powerful by the direct engagement ofV arm 46V with the top of the stop 51. On the return stroke the folder remains in engagement with the paper for a time longl enoughl to insure a good grip-in the eye of the slitting knife, and thereafter swings outward,

around the shoulder of lug 51', intoitsinitial` VIn this modification, as in thev position. modification first described, the vknives are independent of the folder; Aand the folderV need, not be of resilientk material and, conse- Vand tuckedinto the eye ofthe slitting knife, Y. 'c

los

quently, isv not subjected to crystallization and fatigue.

What I Vclaim as newy and desire tosecure by Letters `:Patent of the United States isz l. In an implement for securing together a plurality of sheets, the combination: of

opposing members movable relative to one another with a straight line-fmo'vement, cutting meanscarr-ied by one of saidmemberaf a stripper for clearingV cut paper from saidf cutting mea-ns, a substantially f inelastic folder independent of' said cutting' means and pivotally mountedto swing with respect to said cutting meansand arranged to push the cut paper backward under the stripper, and a spring pressing against said pivotally mounted folder to hold it in position.

2. In a device for fastening sheets of paper, the combination of a cutting knife adapted to form a tongue from the paper, a slitting knife arranged to slit the paper near the base of the tongue, said slitting knife being provided with an eye near its cutting edge, a folder pivoted near said knives to swing toward said slitting knife,

'an arm projecting from said folder, and

means for engagement with said arm to insure positive action of said folder in mov ing the tongue of paper into the eye of the slitting knife.

3. In a device for securing together sheets of paper, the combination of a cutting die, a knife coperating therewith and adapted to form a tongue from the sheets of paper, a slitting knife arranged for slitting the paper near the base of the tongue, said knives being rigidly mounted with respect to one another, a folder pivoted between said knives, a spring normally urging said folder toward said slitting knife, and means brought into engagement with said folder near the end of the folding operation to insurey positive operation of the folder in pressing the tongue backward through the eye in the slitting knife.

4. In an implement for securing together sheets of paper, the combination of two jaws mounted to move toward one another, operating handles for insuring parallel movement of said jaws, a tongue cutting knife and a slitting knife carried by one of said jaws, said slitting knife having an eye for the reception of a tongue of paper, a stripper plate yieldingly mounted between said jaws and having a projecting shoulder, and a folder pivotally mounted to move with one of said jaws and having an arm initially contacting with the shoulder on said stripper plate, said folder having a second arm arranged for contact with said shoulder when the jaws are at the limit of their movement toward one another, the stop on said stripper plate serving to insure positive action of said folder in bending the paper tongue backward through the eye of the slit ting knife and for holding said tongue in such position that when said jaws move apart, the end of the tongue will be drawn through the opening previously made by the slitting knife.

5. In a paper fastener ofthe type described and in combination, a punch, a needle having an opening, a tucker operating part and a pivotally mounted tucker having a portion below its pivot coperating directly with the tongues cut by the punch and having a portion above its pivot normally arranged in the path of said tucker operating part and designed to coact with the latter for moving the part of the tucker below the pivot toward the opening of the needle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a tool such as described, the combination of two jaws movable toward and away from each other, a tongue-cutting ypunch and a die on the respective jaws, a

slit cutter on one of the jaws having an eye, a movable tongue inserter on one of the jaws, having two arms, and means on the other jaw to engage one of said arms when the jaws are approached toward each other to a predetermined extent and thereby move the other arm toward the slit cutter eye.

7. In a tool such as described, the combination of a pair ofjaws movable toward and away from each other, a tongue-cutting punch and a die on the respective jaws, a needle 'on the jaw carrying the punch, a tongue inserter on the same jaw comprising a -member pivoted intermediate of its ends, and a projection on the other jaw adapted to engage one end of said tongue inserter and thereby swing the other end toward said needle.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

J. C. HAWKINS.

Witnesses H. `McCoivN, CHAs. M. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissionler of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

